Known for being on Fox Sports and on the football field, Mark Sanchez is now facing multiple charges and a civil suit.
Starting with an altercation early Saturday morning in Indianapolis, the situation currently stands with the victim of Sanchez filing a civil suit against him and Fox Sports’ parent company, Fox Corporation.
Keep reading to learn more about the altercation, charges, and what happens next for the former NFL player.
Mark Sanchez’s Altercation
The altercation between Perry Tole and Mark Sanchez happened on Saturday morning.
Tole, a 69-year-old truck driver, claims he was approached by an intoxicated Sanchez while working for a company that recycles and disposes of commercial cooking oil. Tole was at a loading dock near the Westin Hotel at 12:35 am. This is when the altercation occurred.
Sanchez approached Tole while he was sitting in his truck, telling him that Tole could not be there. The two men argued, and reports claim Sanchez physically prevented Tole from using his phone to call his work manager.
Tole then sprayed Sanchez with pepper spray, but Sanchez continued his pursuit. This prompted Tole to take out a knife and stab Sanchez a few times before being thrown into the dumpster and falling to the ground. Tole claims Sanchez continued to hit him until Tole was able to stand and stabbed Sanchez a final time before the pair separated.
Both men were taken to the hospital. Sanchez was in critical condition for his stab wounds but has since stabilized. He was then arrested at the hospital.
Tole was taken to a separate hospital for lacerations that were “significant and very severe.”
The Charges
Sanchez is facing multiple charges for the altercation. At the hospital, he was charged with three misdemeanors: unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle, battery, and public intoxication.
On Monday, Sanchez was charged with a level 5 felony of battery causing serious bodily injury. The charge carries a sentence of one to six years in prison. Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced the additional charge at that time.
Civil Suit Added On
The charges are not the only thing Sanchez is facing. Tole has also decided to file a civil suit against Sanchez and the Fox Corporation. The lawsuit seeks damages from Sanchez on the battery claim, and from Fox for negligent hiring, retention, and supervision.
He claims the company “knew or should have known about Defendant, Sanchez’s unfitness as an employee, propensity for drinking and/or harmful conduct.”
This resulted in Tole “suffering severe permanent disfigurement, loss of function, other physical injuries, emotional distress, and other damages.”
The suit is looking for a jury trial, compensatory and punitive damages, and “costs and expenses of this action, including reasonable attorney’s fees…” As of now, Fox has not commented on the altercation or the civil suit.
What’s Next?
This is just the beginning for Sanchez and Tole. Prosecutor Mears said the investigation is ongoing and more charges could be filed down the road.
“This was a situation that did not need to occur,” Mears claimed, adding, “The probable cause outlines the initial nature of that dispute — we are literally talking about people fighting over a parking space, or a dispute over where people are parking, and it resulted in someone receiving incredibly significant injuries.”
After the initial hearing set for October 7th was canceled, it is now scheduled for November 5th.